The summer sun blazed a fiery
trail across the California sky during the 1849 Gold
Rush.

Although he didn't
verbalize his thoughts, the sun kept shining his intense rays in
every direction, and Dan thought he felt a sudden surge in the
temperature, as perspiration profusely poured from his
body.

"Okay, Mr. Sun,"
said Dan. "I apologize for being a bit testy, but these warm days
have me a bit hot under the collar, if you know what I
mean."

"I understand,
Dan," said the sun. "A lot of folks are unhappy with this
weather. But in the many thousands of years of doing my job, I've
found that sometimes people are hard to please. It's either too
hot or too cold, too much snow or not enough rain, etc.,
etc."

The sun then told
Dan that only the Almighty Creator controlled the weather. "I'm
just one of the servants the Sovereign Lord uses to accomplish
His will throughout the universe," said the sun. "The stars, the
moon, all the planets, and all the galaxies also accomplish God's
ordained purpose."

Dan's work day was
coming to an end, so he told the sun, "Thanks a lot for keeping
me company every day while I'm prospecting for
gold."

"You're quite
welcome, My Friend," said the sun. "Thank you for being such a
good sport when I have to add a few extra rays of sun to your
day."

The sun had
finished his chores in Dan's part of the world and began his
duties on the other side of the globe. The moon popped into view,
ready for his duties on the second shift.

Dan and the moon
exchanged greetings, and Dan entered his tent, exhausted from his
long day of digging for gold.

Dan had traveled
from his east coast home about two years earlier. He had left his
wife, Dora, and daughter, Darla, at home and headed west to
search for gold in California. Since he had staked his claim, Dan
had amassed a small fortune in gold, but he had come to realize
his true riches did not come from underneath the surface of the
earth.

Before Dan drifted
into a deep sleep, he wrote a note to Dora. "I love you very
much," Dan wrote. "I came to California to look for gold, but
since I've been here I have discovered that gold and silver are
not a true indicator of wealth. I'm sending enough money for you
and Darla to join me here. And when you arrive, I'll have all the
true wealth I'll ever need - my family!"

To contact the
writer of this column about speaking engagements and/or puppet
ministry, please email
kidcool4jesus@yahoo.com.